Device for protecting the lips of players of wind musical instruments



- H. W. WETMORE. DEVICE FOR PROTECTING THE LIPS OF PLAYERS 0F WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-26, 1919.

1,386,823, Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

IN VENTOR.

% M ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. WETMORE, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR PROTECTDIG THE LIPS OF PLAYERS 0F WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed December 26, 1919.

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. \Vn'rMonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Protecting the Lips of Players .of IV ind Musical Instruments, of which the followii'ig is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for protccting the lips of players of wood and brass wind musical instruments against the pressure of the mouthpiece of such instrument against the lips and teeth by affording a smooth surface for the inside of the lips to rest against while playing such instruments, and it has for its object,

First, to provide a device that may be fitted to a persons mouth between the labial surface of the teeth and gums and the inner surface of the lips of eitherthe upper or lower jaw, or both jaws as the case demands, and is held in place by its adaptation to the contour of the teeth and gums of the person to whom it is fitted.

Second, to provide a device that will make the production of good tones easier and is more particularly adapted to persons having receding or protruding lower jaws, rotated, twisted, overlapping, irregular formed or missing anterior teeth of either the upper or lower jaws.

Third, to provide a device for the protection of the lips of players of wood or brass wind musical instruments that may be made of any material suitable, that will overlap the incisal edge of the anterior teeth when necessary for players of reed wind instruments, and that will conform to the labial surface of the anterior teeth and gums and rest against the inner surface of the lips thus forming a smooth surface for the pressure of the mouthpiece against the lips while playing such instruments.

WVith these and other objects in view, my invention resides in the unique construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Serial No. 347,325.

part of this specification in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings- Figure l is a. sectional view through the mouth of a human being showing the device in place, parts in theirnatural state.

Fig. 2- is a sectional view through the mouth showing the relation of parts when the pressure of the mouthpiece is applied.

Fig. 3 is a view of the outer surface of the device.

Fig. 4: is a view of the inner surface of thedevice showing the ridges and hollows that fit the teeth and gums.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

My device for protecting the lips of players of wind musical instruments forming the subject matter of the present invention consists of the small piece of solid substance 1 that may be made of vulcanized hard rubher or other suitable material that may be molded, cast or vulcanized into shape to conform to the labial surface of the anterior teeth 2 and gums 3 of a person to whom it is fitted and that will present a smooth surface 4; for the lips 5 to rest against.

A plurality of ridges are shown at 5 on the inner surface of the device and are adapted to fit in the crevices between the teeth 2 for holding the device in place.

A cornet mouthpiece is shown at 6 pressing the lips 5 against the device as is necessary while playing such instruments.

In case of irregular shaped incisal edges of the anterior teeth the overlapping edge 7 of the device affords a straight edge for the assistance of players of reed wind musical instruments.

The disk like piece 1 is constructed to conform to the particular mouth to which it is fitted by, first taking an impression in wax or other suitable material of the part of the mouth to be fitted, it being understood that the device may be fitted to either the upper, lower or both aws as the irregularity of the teeth and gums of such jaws may require.

After the impression is taken, which is performed in the customary way as in dental practice, a mold isconstructed and a cast is made of metal or other hard substance;

preferably the mold is packed with vulcanizable dental rubber and vulcanized as is done by dentists in making lse teeth plates.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Le ters Patent is:

1.1 device of the character described consisting of a piece oi hard rubber that may be cast into shape, one side of which is adapted to lit against the labial surface oi the teeth and gums and the other side resting against the inside of the lips of a persons month, said piece of lard rubber having a pluralit; of ridges on one side fitting between the teeth adapted to serve as anchors for holding the device in place and pre, on the other side a smooth suri'ace for the lip to rest against.

A device of the character described consisting of a piece of suitable material that may be molded into shape adapted to fit between the lips and teeth of a persons mouth, said piece of material conforming to the labial surface of the anterior teeth and gums and presenting on the opposite side a smooth surface tor the lip to rest against; an overlapping edge on part of the rim of the disk like piece adapted to overlap the incisal edge of the teeth, thereby presenting a smooth straight edge, substantially as set forth.

3. A device or" the character described consisting of a piece of hard rubber that may be cast into shape adapted to fit between the teeth and lips of a persons mouth; a surface on one side of the derice coniorming to the labial surface of the teeth and gums and presenting: on the other side, a smooth surface for the lip to rest against and a straight edge overlapping the incisal ed es of: the anterior teeth substant-iall as forth.

In testimony whereof Z hereby aiiix my signature in the presence of two WltllQSb-GS.

HARRY W. lVETMORE.

Witnesses J. G. MOMILXAN, dOHX W. SULLIVAN. 

